Peace in Whose Time?
Not even in todays slightly tilted world have I heard of any offbeat parents naming their infants Peace Activist, regardless of their political beliefs. Mr. Rubin came by his unorthodox center name honestly. When he was running for the Santa Monica City Council a few years ago, there was a bitter dispute over the listing of his occupation. He insisted that the words peace activist be placed under Occupation. Voting officials were just as adamant in declaring that peace activist is not a real job. While their reasoning was logical enough, they were wrong. Peace activist is Mr. Rubins calling. This is what Mr. Rubin does with his days, his nights and his organization, the Alliance for Survival. He lost the ballot battle, but he swore he would not lose the next time. He changed his name. He now signs himself Jerry Peace Activist Rubin.
Dem Old Yahoos
There is no shortage of Democratic Party yahoos who blithely label themselves peace activists. They cant hold a candle, a flashlight or even a cigarette lighter to my friend Mr. Rubin. He dwarfs them. For those of us who believe there is a World to Come, Mr. Rubin is close to being guaranteed a box seat. He is kind, he is gentle, and if it is possible for a man who nearly has attained six score years to be pure, he is. Of heart and of digestive tract. For causes of peace, Mr. Rubin fasts more often and longer than any monks or nuns I have heard about. Naturally, he is a vegetarian, vegetarianism being one of the two cornerstones of the Alliance for Survival. Mr. Rubin travels the old-fashioned way, via mass transportation. By taxi, when necessary. I never have known him to be religious, but he stoutly believes in the unadulterated goodness of man more than any religious person I have met. As a true believer (in the attainment of world peace), he has no peer.
A Vexing Puzzle
On weekends, Mr. Rubin can be found at a table near the southern end of the Promenade with a bulging shelf of politically hip stickers, for those of a left, left wing persuasion, two dollars apiece, three for five dollars. Standing near our friends posting last Saturday night, Diane and I tried to puzzle out why we are friends when our strongly held political views reside on separate planets. Except for a couple of relatives who shall go unmentioned, our circle of closest friends largely is composed of persons of fairly similar beliefs. Mr. Rubin, inexplicably, is a sharp exception to that standard. Upon reflection, room always must be cleared for a good person. Mr. Rubins views are at least two miles left of center. He would say the same of mine, only in a southerly direction. We pull for him to succeed. We cheer him on. My car would not be caught out of the garage, even at 3 a.m., with one of Mr. Rubins stickers showing, though. But I hope he sells thousands of stickers that I find, shall we say, repugnant. I will personally purchase a bundle if someone else will distribute them.
Jerry (Peace Activist) Rubin can be reached at jerrypeaceactivistrubin@earthlink.net or at 310.399.1000. The next event for the Alliance for Survival is the 25th annual John Lennon Birthday Remembrance on Oct. 9.
